Doctors: Still 50-50 Chance That Broken Bone Will Mean Euthanasia For Matsui

NEW YORK—Surgeons for the New York Yankees say that although Hideki Matsui seems to be healing satisfactorily two weeks after undergoing surgery to repair the broken left wrist he suffered May 11 against the Red Sox, there is still an outside chance that the outfielder will have to be put down. "You obviously don't want to think in those terms, since besides being a valuable property, he's been a real competitor," said Dr. Stuart Rosenwasser, the Yankees team physician, who performed the surgery and has been observing Matsui's recovery in a special padded stall. "It's no exaggeration to say Hideki's been a real horse for this team." If worst does come to worst, owner George Steinbrenner has said that Matsui would be put to rest along the third-base line along with euthanized Yankee greats Joe DiMaggio (bone spur) and Lou Gehrig (broken leg).